We offer NVC mediation (supported dialogues) for couples, friends, family members, co-workers and more.

Supported Dialogue

What are supported dialogues?

Supported dialogues are a kind of mediation based on Nonviolent Communication (NVC). This process can be really helpful for creating clarity, connection, honesty and harmony in relationships. The focus is on rebuilding connection, trust and authentic expression in relationships, and once there has been a connection we move together to find concrete solutions that can work for everyone.

Often when there is conflict, our words can be difficult for others to hear, and may include painful judgements, criticism and conflicting interpretations. We stop hearing each other, and might escalate the conflict in an attempt to be heard/understood or pull away from the relationship in order to protect ourselves. Our role as mediators is to support everyone to feel safe to express what is most important to them, to hear each other, and to be heard, in relation to the deeper values and longings that are beneath their words, no matter how the messages are expressed.

Learn practical communication skills to apply in daily life

Heal past pains and build new trust

Express your truth and be fully heard

Create new solutions and workable agreements that meet everyone's needs

Conflict is not a problem that needs solving, but a phenomenon that needs understanding.

Dominic Barter - founder of restorative circles

How we structure our supported dialogues

We work both online (via zoom) and in person in Ōtepoti/Dunedin.

Pre-sessions – We start with two individual sessions with each of the individuals involved, of around 45 mins – 1 hour. This allows us to build a connection with each of you and start to hear what really matters to you in relation to the challenges you are experiencing.

Mediation – We then move to a ~1.5 – 2 hour session all together. We hope to schedule this within a week of meeting individually so that we can continue with the momentum and build flow in our work together.

Follow-up sessions – After our initial sessions, we can decide together whether you would like to continue with another session all together, or whether to move back to individual sessions.

We recommend that you hold the intention of committing to 3-5 full mediation sessions, as it can take some time to experience deeper shifts in how you engage and connect with each other and with others in your lives. As the sessions are quite full, we recommend scheduling sessions approximately 3 weeks apart, which gives time for integration, application, trial and error before we all meet again to continue.

"I was really thankful for Jorinde's mediation with my partner. Listening empathetically without judgements, seems to come naturally for Jorinde. From the first time I met her, I immediately felt at ease and welcome, thanks to her kind, big heart and always curious, bright mind. She really walks the talk when it comes to NVC, which is very inspiring to me and has sparked my interest and trust in NVC as a helpful tool for relating."

Alieke, The Netherlands

What kind of challenges can I bring?

In mediations, we work with any challenge that comes up between people. We work with couples, parents and children, adult children, siblings, friends, colleagues, members of community groups and other situations where two or more people would like to find a way forward to greater closeness or harmony. Sometimes people come because they are experiencing conflict, other times people want support to build greater closeness. We are happy to work with you whatever your goals.

What if the other person doesn’t want mediation?

For a mediation to take place, it is important that there is willingness on the part of all parties. If you find yourself wishing to work on a relationship but the other person is not open to this, we can still work with you individually. Our experience is that significant changes are still possible within the relationship dynamic when either party works alone on their communication and has an opportunity to fully express and be heard. Feel free to contact us if you would like to explore an individual session with us.

How long does it take?

The approximate number of hours for each service is:

Couple’s single-session mediation (2 pre-sessions + 1 mediated session) = ~4 hours
Couple’s mediation package (4 pre-sessions, 3 mediated sessions and 1 follow-up session) = ~12 hours
Group basic mediation package (3+ pre-sessions, 1 three-hour mediation session and 1 follow-up session, +time for preparation and follow up) = ~11 hours (depending on number of individuals involved and complexity of the relational challenge – please contact us to discuss)
For in-person mediations, travel costs will be added.

How much does it cost?

At Peace Talks, we operate on a “gift economy” model. We invite you to contribute an amount that reflects both what feels comfortable for you and what helps us sustain this work.

Below are our suggested rates and approximate total costs per service. These are guidelines, not fixed fees. If you’d like to offer more, you’re helping support those who can’t contribute as much right now; if the suggested range feels out of reach, we invite you to let us know what you can currently offer.

Service	Approx. hours	Estimated cost (USD)
A Moment to Connect – Couple’s single-session mediation (2 pre-sessions + 1 mediated session)	~4 hrs	$340–$700
Begin Your Journey – Couple’s mediation package (4 pre-sessions, 3 mediated sessions, 1 follow-up)	~12 hrs	$1,020–$2,100
Group Mediation Package (3+ pre-sessions, one 3-hour session, 1 follow-up, plus prep/follow-up)	~11 hrs	~$2,145 (varies by group size/complexity, contact us)

In-person mediations add travel costs.

Ongoing sessions beyond a package can continue at the same hourly rate, many couples choose to keep going as new layers unfold.

Suggested hourly rates: $85–$175/hour for couple and family mediations, $195/hour for group mediations with organisations and businesses.

We’d love for this to feel like a genuine exchange; an amount you can offer without stretching into hardship, while helping us continue doing work we love. Get in touch if you’d like more clarity or want to talk it through.

Lisa, New Zealand "I felt very satisfied with the support I received from you to both express myself fully and be heard, in our mediation session. Jorinde, I would be very happy to have you mediate me and others in the future. I felt safe, respected and cared for and I think C. also felt that way. I am glad to have your details Jorinde"

Lisa - New Zealand

Ready to rebuild connection ?

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have. If you need more information before moving forward, we’re here to assist! You can also book a free 20-minute exploration session with us to discuss how we can best support you.